Mets fans will get a rare chance to turn Citi Field into a running course when WhyHunger brings its Hungerthon Hustle back to the ballpark on November 7.
This year’s event marks the third straight offseason the race has been held at Citi Field, but the setup comes with a twist: runners will cover the concourse instead of the field itself. That means participants can actually sprint around the stadium, eat in the Heineken Diamond Lounge, and even bump into Mr. and Mrs. Met along the way.
“Mr. Met ran the whole 4.7k in his entire Mr.
Met outfit last year,” John El-Maraghy, WhyHunger's Individual Giving Manager, told Rising Apple. “They were supposed to just be there for pictures and cheering people on!
Obviously, that's a tall, fit person in the costume - I'm not sure if they were moved by the movement, but...”
The race distance is also changing this year. After sitting at 4.7k in each of the past two seasons, the Hustle is being stretched to 4.8k to reflect the increase in Americans facing food insecurity, now listed at 47.9 million. The earlier distance had represented 47 million people.
WhyHunger’s Hungerthon campaign began with the Hustle on Nov. 7 and continues through the month and into December. The month will wrap with a Lucy Dacus/Infinity Song concert in New York, but the action starts at the Mets’ home.
Founded in 1975 by “Cat's in the Cradle” musician Harry Chapin and radio host Bill Ayres, WhyHunger says its mission is to address the root causes of hunger. The group now describes Hungerthon as its most accessible tentpole event, and the Hustle is a big part of that push.
El-Maraghy said the organization works on both domestic and foreign hunger issues, partnering with farmers, producers, pastoralists, and fishers linked to international movements around the right to food and food sovereignty. He also pointed to WhyHunger’s focus on the systems and people that make healthy food possible.
“We focus on both domestic and foreign causes of hunger, collaborating with farmers, producers, pastoralists, and fishers who are connected to international social movements focused around the right to food, food sovereignty,” El-Maraghy relayed. “Local communities should have the right to grow healthy food for themselves.
We also focus on the social side of things, investing in the people/systems who make healthy food possible. That may be gatherings, professional development, linkages between entities and groups.
It's strategic investment.”
Music has long been part of the organization’s profile, with figures like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Yoko Ono Lennon and Santana lending support. WhyHunger was also included in the Dead & Company “Shakedown Street” marketplace during their most recent west coast swing, another stop tied to Citi Field.
Fans can take part in person or choose a virtual option through the donor drive link. The virtual run opens on Halloween and runs through Nov. 7, and participants can connect their Strava accounts to log the 4.8k. All runners, whether on-site or virtual, are eligible for the grand prize: a 4-day all-inclusive stay at the Hard Rock in Punta Cana.
“The fastest time isn't as relevant as the person who raises the most money or gets the most eyeballs and ear lobes on the cause,” El-Maraghy said. “You can be the most unfit person in the world - someone who hates walking, hates running, and you can still be a winner of a pretty cool prize.”
Still, the in-person version is the only way to say whatever offseason thoughts you’ve got directly to Mr. Met while he runs beside you. For Mets fans looking for a one-of-a-kind Citi Field experience, this one is hard to miss.
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